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Meeting Information
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To visit the H-GAC
website for a list of all upcoming meetings click here.
To get a list of
other environmentally related meetings and events in our region click here.
 In
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, H-GAC will provide for
reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities attending H-GAC
functions. Requests should be received 24 hours prior to the function.
Call the meeting organizer to make arrangements.
As part of our
commitment to Going Green,  H-GAC's
Community and Environmental Planning Department encourages meeting
attendees to bring their own mug or cup to all meetings.
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Banner Photo
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Love is in the air - or at
least on the ground. Gregory Camp, an Environmental Investigator with
the City of Houston Health Department Bureau of Pollution Control and
Prevention, saw these common grackles (one male and two females) on
Boundary Street in northeast Houston after a rain.
Would you like for us to
consider featuring your municipality, program or regional
photo on the C&E Planning Update banner? Just forward your
picture, along with some information about the subject and the photographer
and you might see it on next month's newsletter.
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Public
Input Sought for Regional Plan for Sustainable Development
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The Houston Galveston
region is expected to see 4 million new residents in the next 30 years.
Where will those residents live? How will this change affect quality of
life? How will they get around? The Houston Galveston Regional Plan for
sustainable development is an important chance to look forward and find
ways to keep our communities prosperous, healthy and attractive for
generations to come.
The 13-county plan explores opportunities to improve the region's most
important resources, including clean air and water, good jobs, safe and
attractive neighborhoods, affordable housing, transportation choices, and
open spaces and parks. A
series of public meetings through March of 2012 will help set goals and
priorities for the plan. A list of community events can be found on the
project web site at www.ourregion.org.
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H-GAC
Releases New Version of Census ACS Data Portal
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The H-GAC Community and
Environmental Planning Department has released a new version of our Census
ACS Data Portal mapping application. The new release now includes direct
links to all 2009 5-year American Community Survey data tables for the
Census Tract level geography. In the coming months, further updates will
include Census Block Group geographies, 2010 5-year ACS data and all 2010
Decennial Census data tables for the region. The goal of the Census ACS
Data Portal is to provide a one-stop location for accessing all U.S. Census
data for the H-GAC 13-county region. Access the Census ACS Data Portal here. You can also
access this application as well as other mapping applications and GIS data
on the Community and Environmental Planning Department GIS page.
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Cedar Bayou Watershed
Partnership Meets Today
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The Cedar Bayou Watershed
Partnership will host a public meeting from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 1,
at the Senior Center in Mont Belvieu, 11607 Eagle Drive. The topic for
discussion will be solutions for contamination of Cedar Bayou. For more
information, contact Justin Bower at 713-499-6653 or visit www.cedarbayouwatershed.com.
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Build
Expo Set in Houston February 1 and 2
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Houston Build Expo will be
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. February
1-2 at Houston Reliant Center, One Reliant Park, Houston.
This two-day event for building and construction professionals features
education and demonstrations of innovative products and solutions,
including sessions on green building choices, LEED certification and
sustainable sites. More information, including registration, is available online.
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Yard Waste is Topic
for Regional Recycling Roundtable
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The Regional Recycling
Roundtable will be from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, February 9, at H-GAC
Conference Room A, Second Floor. The subject will be Yard Waste, Compost
and Mulch.
Have you ever considered
starting a yard waste collection program for your community? Do you want to
hear what others are doing and hear about their successes and struggles?
Would you like to learn about how yard waste from the region is used to
make mulch and compost? Then join us at the upcoming Regional Recycling
Roundtable to hear from Richard Stamper of Living Earth Technologies,
Sharon Moses with the City of Houston, and Becky Cottingham with Montgomery
County.
There is no cost for this
event. For more information or to RSVP, contact Erin
Livingston at 832-681-2525.
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Citizens
Environmental Coalition Hosts Visions for a Greener Houston
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The Citizens Environmental
Coalition will present Visions for a Greener Houston from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday, February 9.
This summit features a series of collaborative sessions:
- To picture
where our environmental community hopes to see itself by the end of
2012
- To identify
attainable goals for several environmental areas
- To produce a
visionary document that summarizes these group goals, capturing the
essence of this collaboration
- To share
this vision with our local governments and the community at large
- To
facilitate efforts among environmental agencies to realize joint
short-term goals
- To introduce
a wider spectrum of our citizens into the environmental conversation
Space is limited, and
registration is required. More information, including an agenda and
registration form, is available online.
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Bacteria Implementation
Group Workgroups Continue Discussions about Reducing Bacteria
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The Bacteria Implementation
Group (BIG) workgroups continue to meet to identify possible revisions to
the Implementation Plan to reduce bacteria in the Houston-Galveston region.
The workgroups are also discussing progress on activities and priorities
for action. These meetings and subsequent discussions will form the basis
for the draft of the annual report to be presented at the BIG annual
meeting tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, May 22.
A schedule of upcoming meetings, including agendas as available, can be
found online. For more
information, please contact Rachel Powers at 713-993-4559.
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Center
for Houston's Future to Unveil Report at Symposium
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The Center for Houston's
Future will present the results of a 15-month study on how the region fares
in terms of education at the 2012 Community Indicators Symposium Human
Capital Development and Education: Early Childhood, K-12, Workforce
Preparedness.
The symposium is from 8:30
a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Friday, February 10, at the George R. Brown Convention
Center. Speakers for the event include Dr. Renu Khator, the System
Chancellor and University President at the University of Houston; Scott
McClelland, president of H-E-B's Houston Division; and Patricia A.
Sullivan, Education Solutions Executive of IBM's Global Education Industry.
Registration is
required. More information is available online.
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Texas AgriLife
Extension Service Presents Social Media Seminar
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 The
Texas AgriLife Extension Service in College Station is hosting Conservation
Science Social Media from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, February 13, at College
Station Conference Center, 1300 George Bush Drive, College Station. This
seminar is designed to present case studies, online examples, discussions
and strategies to help elevate the role science in online conversations,
including social media.
More information, including required registration details,
is available online.
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Environmental
Awareness Roundtable to Focus on Sustainable Development
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Participants in the next
Environmental Awareness Roundtable on Tuesday, February 14, will learn more
about the Houston Galveston Regional Plan for Sustainable Development. The
EAR meets from 9:30 a.m. to noon, with the program beginning at 10
a.m., in H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.
Meredith Dang, Land Use and Transportation Coordinator at H-GAC, will lead
the discussion on this unprecedented effort partnering residents, business
owners, non-profit organizations, education institutions, and local governments.
The plan is an important chance to look forward and find ways to keep our
communities prosperous, healthy and attractive for generations to
come.
There is no charge to
attend this roundtable. Please RSVP to Kristi Corse by Friday,
February 10.
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NOAA Seeks Public
Input for Early Restoration Plans for Gulf of Mexico
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Public comment continues
through Tuesday,
February 14, for a plan to spend $1 billion to begin the
restoration of the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon Draft Phase I
Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment was released for public
comment in December 2011. This early restoration includes a list of
projects that have been recommended to be funded in this phase. There are
no Texas-specific projects listed in this phase of the plan; however, Texas
may be included in subsequent plases of the plan. The plan is available for
review and comment online.
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Lecture Series Taps
into Local Experts on Green Building Practices
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The U.S. Green Building
Council Texas Gulf Coast Chapter will host Select Local - Grow Together:
Green Roofs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday,
February 15, at the Green Building Resource Center, 1002
Washington Avenue, Houston.
The lecture, part of a series focusing on local professionals sharing their
knowledge about green building practices, will outline the ins and outs of
green roofs.
Space is limited and registration is required. More information is
available online.
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Nominate
Your City for a Green City Award
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Waste & Recycling News
is seeking nominations for its Green City Award. All U.S. and Canadian
cities implementing creative and innovative methods to make the planet a
better place are eligible. Prizes will be awarded for big cities (500,000
or more residents), medium cities (100,001 to 499,999 residents) and small
communities (100,000 or fewer residents). Finalists will be announced in
March 2012 and honored at the Residential Recycling Conference in Dallas.
The nomination deadline is February
24. For more information or to submit a nomination, please
visit Waste & Recycling News online.
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Landowners Invited to
Woodlands and Wildlife Workshop
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The AgriLife Extension
Services in Austin and Colorado counties, the Texas Forest Service, the
Texas Forestry Association and the Houston Zoo are hosting a Woodlands, Wildlife and
Drought Landowner Workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, February 25,
at Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall.
The event will help educate landowners about woodland resources,
identification of critical habitat and possible marketing opportunities.
The program is free and will include a meal and refreshments.
Anyone interested in attending should contact the AgriLife Extension office
in Colorado County at 979-732-2082 by February 20.
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Brazoria County Area
Residents Can Benefit from Water Well Screening Day
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The Texas Well Owner Network,
in partnership with the Brazoria County Office of the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service, the Houston-Galveston Area Council, the Texas Water
Resources Institute and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board,
is providing a water well screening day for Brazoria County area residents.
Samples should be
delivered to the Brazoria County Extension Office Building, 21017
County Road 171, Angleton, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 8.
Sample bags and instructions can be picked up prior to March 8 from
the County Extension Office. The cost is $10 per sample.
A meeting explaining the
screening results will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Pearland
Community Center. For more information, call the County Extension Office at
979-864-1558.
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The Economics of Water
Conservation is Topic for Upcoming Symposium
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Save the date for the Gulf
Coast Water Conservation Symposium: The Business Case for Water
Conservation, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 2, at the Johnnie
Arolfo Civic Center Ballroom, 300 West Walker Street, League City.
Attendees will learn:
- Cost-effective
approaches to water conservation
- Methods of
ensuring economically-viable water utilities
- Conservation
strategies that reduce demand
- Strategies
to start and develop an effective water conservation program
- How to
incorporate water conservation into long-term water supply plans
Registration is
required. More information is available online.
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Annual
Trash Bash Set for March 31
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Get ready to Clean it Like
you Mean It at the River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash® on Saturday, March 31.
This half-day event is the largest shoreline clean up project in the state
of Texas. Registration at 17 clean up sites across the region begins
between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. and the day ends around 1:30 p.m. with free
lunch, entertainment, educational displays and door prizes. Start and end
times vary from location to location.
More information, including
registration and safety information, is available online.
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International World
Water Day Celebrates Freshwater Resources
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International World Water
Day is held annually on March
22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of
freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater
resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The United
Nations General Assembly responded by designating March 22, 1993, as the
first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. This
year's theme is Water and Food Security. More information, including videos
and animations, is available online.
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Students Encouraged to
Consider Conservation as Part of Art Contest
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The Texas Parks and
Wildlife Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is sponsoring a State-Fish Art
Contest for students in grades 4 through 12. Students in public, private or
home schools are invited to submit a drawing of an officially recognized
state fish and a one-page essay on its behavior, habitat or conservation.
Students in grades K-3 may also submit drawings. The essay is not required
for this age group.
Winning entries in the Texas competition will be forwarded to Wildlife
Forever to compete for national awards. The deadline to enter is Saturday, March 31.
More information, including an entry form, is available online.
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Conservation Easement
Established at Savannah Oaks Ranch
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The
convergence of Austin and Flores bayous. (photo courtesy of Galveston
Bay Estuary Program)
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The West Bay Watershed
Conservation Initiative recently celebrated the establishment of a
conservation easement at Savannah Oaks Ranch near the Brazoria National
Wildlife Refuge.
This event marks the first
time that a Purchase of Development Rights agreement has been issued
through the Texas General Land Office's Texas Farm and Ranch Lands
Conservation Program. It is also the first conservation easement purchased
by the Galveston Bay Estuary Program and the Texas Commission Environmental
Quality.
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Rod
Kuchar, Land Owner, and Greg Green, Ducks Unlimited. (photo courtesy of
Galveston Bay Estuary Program)
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Savannah Oaks Ranch-part of
a fifth generation family farm-is a 700-acre rice farm situated at the
convergence of Austin and Flores Bayous in Danbury. Its rice fields provide
excellent wildlife habitat for a variety of shorebirds and waterfowl,
including the mottled duck, an Audubon's WatchList species in decline.
Through this conservation
easement, the landowners, Rody and Donna Kuchar, will maintain the
property's current use as a working farm while preserving its wildlife
values in perpetuity. In fact, Mr. Kuchar and Ducks Unlimited, the
conservation organization responsible for holding and monitoring the
easement, are already developing plans to further increase the property's
wildlife value and reduce runoff pollution.
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Department of Interior
awards $2 million for projects in West Galveston Bay
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Secretary of the Interior
Ken Salazar recently awarded $2 million in grants to support coastal
wetlands projects in West Galveston Bay: the Settegast Phase II Land
Acquisition Project and the Bird Island Cove Estuarine Habitat Restoration
Project.
These projects-the only two
funded in Texas by the 2012 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant
Program-will provide long-term conservation benefits to fish and wildlife
and their habitats. Once all projects' phases are completed, approximately
547 acres of coastal habitat will be conserved, restored or enhanced.
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department and Artist Boat received these grants.
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News from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
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EPA Co-Sponsored
Report Released: "Water Reuse: Potential for Expanding the Nation's
Water Supply through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater"
In January 2012, the National Research Council released a report
co-sponsored by EPA titled, "Water Reuse: Potential for Expanding the
Nation's Water Supply through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater." The
report highlights the potential role that reuse of municipal
wastewater can play in augmenting traditional water supplies, particularly
in areas that are experiencing or expect to face challenges in meeting
demand for water. The report will also inform efforts under way to revise
and update EPA 2004 guidelines for water reuse. For more information on the
report, visit: http://dels.nas.edu/Report/water-reuse/13303
. To access and download a copy of the report, visit: http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13303.
New Tool Provides
Access to Water Pollution Data
EPA announced the release of a new tool that provides the public with
important information about pollutants that are released into local
waterways. The discharge monitoring report pollutant loading tool brings
together millions of records and allows for easy searching and mapping of
water pollution by local area, watershed, company, industry sector and
pollutant. The public can use this new tool to protect their health and the
health of their communities. The tool is available at: http://www.epa.gov/pollutantdischarges
Handbook to Help
Water Utilities Plan for Sustainability
EPA has released a comprehensive handbook to help water sector utilities
build sustainability considerations into their planning. "Planning for
Sustainability: A Handbook for Water and Wastewater Utilities" will
help utilities ensure that water infrastructure projects across the nation,
including those funded through the state revolving fund programs, are
sustainable and support the long-term sustainability of the communities
these utilities serve. For additional information and to view a copy of the
handbook, please visit: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/sustainable_systems.cfm.
Listening Session to
Focus on Consumer Confidence Report Rule
EPA will hold a public meeting via the Internet on Thursday, February 23,
to obtain input on the consumer confidence report rule as part of the
Agency's retrospective review of existing regulations. EPA plans to discuss
electronic delivery of the reports, resource implications for implementing
report delivery certification, use of reports to meet public notification
requirements, and how contaminant levels are reported in the consumer
confidence reports. EPA invites the public to participate in this
information exchange on the consumer confidence report rule. Registration
information is found below. More information on these reports can be
accessed on EPA's website at: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ccr/index.cfm.
Individuals planning on participating in the listening session must
register for the meeting at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/396514342.
Individuals planning on participating in the web dialogue discussions must
join the community at http://CCRRetrospectiveReview.ideascale.com.
The web dialogue will be available from February 23 to March 9 for the
public to share and post comments on the dialogue. For more information
please email CCRRetrospectiveReview@epa.gov.
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Community and
Environmental Planning
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Loan Programs
H-GAC's Community and
Environmental Planning Department currently manages two business loan
programs -- the Small Business Administration 504 and the Economic
Development Administration Revolving Loan Fund.
 The SBA 504 Loan Program provides
long-term business expansion financing for real estate, construction, and
equipment purchases. Additional information is available online.  The EDA Revolving Loan
Fund assists small businesses in the Houston-Galveston region. Visit www.gcedd.org for
more information.
Anyone interested in applying for a loan or getting more information should
contact Devin
Holum for the SBA 504 Loan Program at 832-681-2592 or contact Stephanie
Ellis at 877-354-4264 for the EDA Revolving Loan Fund.
Mapping Applications
and GIS Data
 If you are looking for maps,
mapping applications, or GIS data related to the Community and
Environmental Planning Department, visit www.h-gac.com/go/cegis to see the latest
information, including Census, Regional Forecast, Bikeways, Water Quality,
and more. Our Map Book provides maps in several formats for printing. We
also have mobile iPhone/iPad applications.
Facebook
 H-GAC
has a Facebook page where we post information about current and upcoming
events. You can find the page here.
Please visit and like H-GAC's page. While you're there, visit other
H-GAC pages on Facebook, such as Recycling, Trash Bash, Bacteria Implementation
Group (BIG) and Our Region (the Regional
Plan for Sustainable Development.)
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